Rosa and the Tea rose garden

 I have always loved Roses, especially tea roses. The smell of them are just so lovely. I once lived next door to an older lady who grew them all over her garden and occasionally she would trim the beautiful blooms and give me a large bouquet of them. They always smelled nice! The roses she grew were in a creamy tan color with a slight pink inside. They were not the brightest blooms she had but they were the sweetest smelling ones and I adored them. 

    When I moved away that was one of the things I missed most was Vernices's tea roses. The other thing I missed was my darling girl next door. Now my tea rose Vernice has surely passed away and so this little girl is in honor of her and her sweet giving heart.  Please meet Rosa Vernice.

Which came first the chicken or the doll

In this case it was the chicken then the doll. 

A few weeks ago I had to say goodbye to my 7 chickens. It was almost as hard as it was when my beloved Jenny Girl went on to Heaven. I tend to get so attached to animals that when I lose one or many my life changes. We did happen to find all 7 of them a good home and I'm at peace with it now but it was so hard. But during this time of sadness I do what all artist do, create. So Louisa my doll is me in dolly form. We may not look exactly alike for I'm an old lady and she is very child like but a part of my sadness and a part of me went into her.

  I really don't do well with change and moving 2000 miles away from my home is not an easy chore, it's like saying a million little goodbye's for me. Goodbye my little family of squirrels, goodbye my sweet little cardinals, goodbye my painted lady butterflies that I raised and their offspring come back every year, and goodbye my lovely lady chickens.  Goodbye.

Stinkers in my sewing spot!

So, I'm doing laundry, tweaking out a crochet pattern of my interpratation of Winnie the Pooh and I decide I need a cup of coffee to clear the fog in my brain. I get up from my creaky old chair and go into the kitchen. I could have sworn I heard giggling behind me. I turn and see nothing. Huh, weird! I grab my cup of coffee, head into the dining room (where in the winter months I sew) and put my cup down. Then I walk into the laundry room to switch loads. When I came back with a basket of laundry to fold I look on the table and I see these two stinkers! They were laughing about something funny, but unless your a little kid ( wish I was still a kid) they turn into stone when you look at them. I wonder what they were laughing about? Probably my grammar! Lol

Skippy is done!

Finally the little squiggly pup is finished! Now to get all 3 ( Lolly's doll, a sailor pup and bear) packaged up and sent off to their new home! I really enjoyed making this guy from drawing to toy. I wrote up his pattern as I went so if I ever need to make another I will be able too. Now on to a Christopher Robin felt  doll and his bear pooh! 

Skippy in progress and Sylvia learns to read a pattern.

Sylvia my daughters cat whom I watched being born is an old soul. I should have named her myrtle or Betty, perhaps hazel. But alas my daughter swore she was a boy and wanted him named Sylvester. I told her she needs to be a Sylvia for a good reason. So there ya have it. 

  Sylvia while Hannah is at school is always by my side into my knitting or howling around the house looking for her long legged 12 yr old human kitten. Today she was by my side learning to read my pattern of Skippy the ships ahoy doggie :).  I think she has been hanging around Hannah doing her homework too much and feels like she needs to catch up on current events. Anyhow it was nice to have the company :) 

Ships Ahoy!!!

Next project: puppy for a little boy I call him skippy! 

I love to crochet! I started this lovely hobby as a stress reliever while I was serving in the Air force.  It was a stressful time in my life so I picked up a hobby to help find some inner peace. It took me days of practice and prayer to catch on but after that it was love! I made my first afghan my first year of marriage while my  soldier hubby was sent to Germany and it met it's demise last year when it ended up with a burnt hole in the middle of it. It has now become a glorified pad for my Scottie dog to sleep on :). So pan forward after many years of crocheting and hating to read patterns I started making my own patterns. Now I can look at something and pretty much make it! Or draw something and sew it up! This picture is the process of what goes into making something new. A sketch, yarn choosing, a little idea, then I go into a trance and just design! Stayed tuned for more updates :) 

Lolly's dolly

So we finished Lolly's doll :) she turned out sew cute! My hands are tired from all that sewing but she was worth it! Who couldn't love that red hair! As I was painting her eyes and mouth she began to talk about how she wants to travel to foreign lands. When I told her she was going to England she began to sing and her pigtails stood up on end! So begins Lolly's doll's  journey and mine begins again on another little project, I wonder what it will be :) I see a doggy going off to Sea :) maybe? Hum......,